Coin-controlled cigar-vending apparatus.



4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

. PATBWTB'D APR. 7 1908. W. B... SULLIVAN. l

f Jg @3 f'ql ArgLIeATIoN FILED Nov. 7, 1907.

COIN CUNTROLLBD GIGAR VBNDING APBARAT A INVENTOR Bywec ATTORNEY.

` HV/IITNESSESI.;\l

10.884,237. PATENTE@ APR. 7, 1908. W. B. SULLIVAN.

COIN CONTROLLED GIGAR VENDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 7x 1907.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W I TNESSES we. M L4/2 A TTORNE Y.

Nm 884,237` PATENTED APR, 7, 1908g W, EL SULLIVAN. COIN ,GUNTRLLED {JGAR VENDING APPARATUS.

PPL'QATION *um 1mm 19o". L i 4 SHEETS-SHEET s.

IN VENTOR (if:

:.1 l '45%. mi ffm vai/1*;

4 TTORNE Y N 884,2"7, PATBNTED APR. 7 1908,

o W. B, SULLVAN.

VCOIN UONTROLLED GIGAR VENDING APPARATUS.

APPLIGATIN FILED HOV. '.7, 1907.

4 SHBETS-SHEET 4.

WITNESSES ew M:

IN V EN TOR.

BKM

A TTORNE Y.

UNITED sTATnsrrATENT ioFIiIoE.

WILLIAM B. SULLIVAN. or sr. Louis, MISSOURI'.

ooInooN'rnoLLnn oIGAR-VENDING APPARATUS.

Speccatono Letters Patent.v

Patented April 7, 1908..

Applicatioiifled November 7, l1907. Serial No. 01,05%4

To'all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that l, WILLIAM B. SL'LLIYAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the city of St. Louis and State of'Missouri, have invented newand useful lniprovenientsin Coin-Controlled Cigar-Vending Apparatus. of which the following is a specification.

vThis invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in.coin-controlledvending apparatus, and particularly tothe inech-l anisni for causing the delivery of a cigar after the said mechanism has been released for operation by the insertion of a coin. The- '.mechanisni which is operatedon the inser- .tion of a coin to permit the manual nianipu? lation oft-he machine tovcause the delivery` rof a cigar,w`hile shown and briefly described herein, forms tliesubject inatteriof-a conifiled November 7, 1907,

anion application, berf`1No. 401,053.

The present invention relates to improved Aiiieai'i's for causing -the proper feedof the lcigars to the vdelivery roller; andl to iinproved means for actuating the delivery 'rollerj to mechanism for controlling the ex- -tent of .rotationv of said roller during the time the machine is iii operation. I

, In addition to these leading features ofthe invention, the samel also has reference to sof certain novelcombinations, operations and arrangements of parts, all ashereinafter de v4scribed and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 isa plan view of my machine: Fig;` 2 is a'view in end elevation of the mechanism, allbut a portion of the front of the casing being removed, the View being substantially a sectionon lthe'line of Fig. 1; Fig. 3'is a View in side elevation of the machine, on a f 'slightly enlarged Scale, a. portion of the frame nat the. rear being .broken off, and the mech anisni being removed from the casing; Fig.

V4 is asimilar view with a portion of the casing shown in section and showin-g the positionof the parts after the slide frame has been pulled l outward to deliver a cigar: Fig. v5 is 4a View similar to and corresponding to Fig. 3, but showing the opposite side of the mechanism to that shown in Fig. 3; Fig. .6 is a View similar to and `corresponding to Fig. 4, but showing the oppositev side of the mechanism to that shown in Fig. L1; Fig. T

is a transverse sectional view throiigh'the machine and casing, illustrating. more particularly the manner in which the cigarsareV ldlev 5- for actuating the mac another opening 6, through which the cigars.

-a penny or of a dime.

the'cigar agitator; and Fi'g.11 is' a brokensectional view of one side of thefraine show, ing the manner of adjustably mounting the.

'rollers supporting-the feed controlling apron.

Referring now vto the drawings, 1 indicates the casing, which is referably rectangular in sha e and is providled at its top,1tWo sides' an front with glass panes so that the mechanism as well as the' cigar box may at all feo timesbe visible. The glass pane at the front of the Casing is indicated by 2, `and occupies only the upper half of the front, the lower half 3 being. principally ofi Wood and having an openingl therein 4', through which the hanfallinto a trough A'7, s'aidtrough projecting into the'niachine and hayingjitsinner en lying in close roxinnty to the eri hery of' the delivery'ro ler 8, so as 'to gui e t ecigars in th'eir descent therefrom. vThe trough'7 ismounted in any suitable way in the front .member 3 of the casing.'

9 indicates the vbase of the machine, which is firmly secured to the bottom of the. casing' 1', and to which base is secured the metal framework 'of the machine proper.l Such' framework may be described, generally, as comprising two similar 'Side plates 10., 11,

each of which has at its front a leg 12 and at. its rear asimilar but longer leg 13, the botV ne projects, and t tom lof these legs being flanged and aper--j tured and having screws passed through such apertures and into the base 9, whereby the framework is secured to said base. chute proper is indicated at 14, and, as shown to the front of the casing, where a coin opening 15 is provided.v The said chute has its bottom and front side-formed by two sido flanges 16,' the space between the edges of said flanges being less than the width of a five-cent piece, but greater than the width-of Should either one of these latter two coins be inserted through the opening 15 it will fall out ofthe coin chute; The coin before passing to the locking dog.

The coin 10() in Figs. 3 to 6, inclusive, is curved outward chutefl issecured to-and forms one-side of a tiiangular-shaped housing 17. The opposite or rear side of this housing is formed by what I term a coin trough 18, which extends some distance below the housing i7, as indicated at 1Q, forming a receptacle lor the coin after it is inserted in the machine. The inner wall of the coin trough i8 terminates some distance above the vbottom si the housing 17, as indicated at 20, (Fig. t) and the inner wall of the coin chute 14 terminates a slight distance above the point L20, indicatedl at 2l, the purpose ot which construe tion is to permit the coin inserted in the chute to pass out of the saine into the trough i8. The front side of the depending portion 19 of the trough is opened and has the saine construction as the front side of the chute 14. The rear side oi' the trough is provided with a relatively long slot 22. Through the slot 22, and through the opening olf the front of the trouglrpasses the outer end of the throw-lever 23, which normally rests on a bridgepiece 24, which is secured to and braces t e. lower end .ot the vtrough i8 and has a flange extension 25 at one end, by means of which it is secured to the side l() of the traine.

26indicates a locking dog, which in prac`- tice comprises a strip ci metal b'ent at two i points at Vright angles to itself to torni a short arm 27 and a long arm 2S, the said dog being pivotally mounted on the side plate 10, by means of a screw 29 passing through the two arms. Projecting from the body ol this dog isa screw-threaded arm 30, on which is mounted a screw-threaded weight 31. The throw-lever 23 has its free end lying in plane closely adjacentlto the short arm 27, and at its opposite or inner end is provided with an inward extending arm 32, which is designed to be engaged b y a. slidablc member to operate the throiiulever and also a cigar agitator, as later described. The throw-lever is pivotally mounted on a stud which, inturn, ismounted on the side l0.

34 indicates a crossbar 'extending across the front of the machine, and which at its opposite ends is provided with arms 35 and 36,'

, which are parallel to each other and which cgi - roiect rearward and in close roximit f to the sides l() and 1l of the frame. The ends of the bars 35 are connected by a crossbar 37, (shown in Figs. 7 and l0) through the 'medium oi' screws 3S, said cross-bar having its opposite ends extending through and adapted to slide in slots 39 'formed in the side plates ol? the machine. Toward its iront end each of the arms 35 and 36 is provided with a slot 40, through which extends a screw' 41, which engages in the side plate of the frame.

. Thebar 34, with arms and 36, forms a slide trame, which is guided in its movements by the slots 39 and 40, and which is adapted to operate the delivery roller. The handle 5 is secured to and projects from the center of the bar 34 through the opening 4 in the iront of the casing and has on its outer end a knob 42, by grasping which the operator may pull the sliding trame outward toward the liront ol the machine. The arm 35 of said sliding frame is provided on its under side with a notchr43, and the long arm 2S of the locking dog has its inner end bent upward., as indi cated at 44to engage in said notch. Ti/Jhen in such engagement, it will 'be impossible to pull the sliding frame outward. The inner end of the arm 35 is bent downwardly, as shown at 45, to form an -inclined portion 46, at its real-f. end. As the arin 35 moves outward this inclinedportion engages the arm on the throw-lever 28, thereby depressing extend under the machine, then rearward, as l indicated at 52, to extend beneath a /rear frame extension :33 and then again upward, as indicated at 54, said upward extension having on its inner end a button 56 indicates a spring arm, which may be formed of wire, and has its lower end secured to the bridge-piece 24. The said arm extends upward foij some dis-tance parallel'with the rear side of the coin trough, and is then bent on a lonfr curve across the plane of the coin trough ythrough the slot 22, and has its outerl end bent in a reverse direction to form a support57. The coin trough 18 extends upward to the top of the side 10, where it is braced by a cleat 58, whence it extends across the front of the machine in a horizontal direction, as indicated at 59, where it is braced at the top el." the side .pla-tell by a cleat 60, and is then curved downwardly, .and has its outlet beneath the frame, as indicated at 6l. 0n 'the upper side ol the arm 35 l provide a rack-plate 62, and I pivotally mount .on the side plate l() a gravity' pawl o3, the lower ene gaging end oi' which 'occupies a plane slightly below that or' the teeth of said rack-plate. 'llie rack-plate 62 will ride under the pawl 63, swinging it to one side as the sliding frame is pulled outward, and in the event the operator should release his hold upon the knob 42 before pulling the frame to the eX- treme limit of its outward noveinent, the pawl will 'at once engage the teeth of the rack-plate 62 and prevent the return of the sliding frame. The said sliding traine must, therefore, be pulled to the extreme limit ci' its outward movement before the machine can again be operated. Springs 64 secured at one 'end to the side member of the frame extension 53 andat their other end to the crossbar 37, insure the full return movement oi the sliding frame.'

The delivery roller S is provided at oppoAu ism hereinafter described.

site ends with short journal shafts which have bearings in the opposite side'plate 10 and l1.

grooves 66, each of which is adapted to turn to receive'a cigar 67 from thefeed mechan- Secured on one of thefjournal shafts 65, and located on the -outer side ofthe plate 11, is a ratchet wheel 68, having six teeth 69, or twice the number of teeth that there vare grooves in the delivery roller- 70 indicates the main actuating do which. is pivotallv sup orted at its rear en on the `-arin 36' ofvthe s iding frame toward the 'rear end of the latter, as indicated at 71, and is slightly bent inward from .the point of lits pivoted connection to extend under the arm 3 36, and

' on the'arm 36 interine iate the ends thereof cated at 73, said recess being of a size to recei-ve one of the teeth 69 ofthe ratchet wheel and forming twotongues on'the actuating dog, indicated by 74 and `75 res e'ctively.

' Formed" integral with, and depen ing from the under side of, the actuating dog 70 inid- -Way the ends-thereof,'and having av slight forward-curve, is a stop arm 76.

' LP ivotally'mountedintermediate its ends onthe side plate 11, as indicated at77, is a pawl 7.8, having engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel 68, and

4bei-ng heldin contact with said teeth by a spring-leaf 80.

Projecting upward.v from the rearend of the frame 36 is an upright 81, pivotall mounted on the upper end of which, as indi- 'which normally bears upon a shoulder 85, on

cated at 82, is a eed dog 83, havinf o n its under side, near its vpivoted end, aclug 84,

the upright 81, and supports the feed dog.83

. in a given horizontal position after its free 'upward extension v89, which is provided with' end moves off of a ratchet wheel' 85. The free endof the feed dog 83 is enlarged and recessed on its underside, as indicated at 86,

said recess being of a size to fit over two of theteeth on the ratchet wheel 85, and providing a forward tongue 87 and a rear'tongue 88. Each of'the'side plates 10 and 11'has an .'a slot 90 and is lfurther recessed on4v its inner 'a plate 92., wliich'is held adjust-ably therein side, as indicated at 91, (Fig." 11)=to receive means of 'a screw 93, passing through the slot 90.l "Only one ofthe plates A9 2 vissliown, but it `will be understood that each of the pro'- jecting portions 89 of the side plates is rovided with= afsimilarplat'e 92. In eac of these plates -ils j.ournale d the opposite ends of Said roller is provided at three equi distant points with longitudinally-extending a hooked end 79, adapted to two rollers 94, over which rollers passes an vendless apron 95, which is preferably Acoinposed of ribbed or :corrugated rubber. The rollers 94may be so positioned with respect tio each other as to give this apron 95 a greater or less' inclination to the vertical.

Mounted at opposite ends in the side plates 10 and 11 are two rollers 96 and 97, over which rollers passes an endless apron 98, which also is coml osed of a sheet of ribbed or corrugated rub er,.and,which is secured by screws 99, 4or otherwise, to the cross-bar 37, which, as previously described, connects the arms v35 'and 36 of the sliding frame. The roller36 has a slightly elevated position, as respects thejroller 97, so that the apron 98 will have a greater or less inclination downwardV toward the delivery roller 8. .The frame extension 53 has an upper cross-bar 100, (Fig. 1)v on which are mounted ,two

`sleeves 101, each of which'carri'es a set screw 102, which screws aredesigned to be screwed into contact with opposite sides 'of' a cigar box 103', and hold it 1n 'fixed relation with re- A spect to thefeed apron 98. The cigar box 103, as shown more clearly in Figs. 3, 4 and 7, will rest toward its rear end upon the crossbar 100 of the frame extension, where-it is secured in position by the set screws 102,

while its forward en d portion will rest upon i feed apron 98. The end of the cigar box lo-l cated over the feed a. ron is removed to ermit the cigars to roll om the box, as 4w1 be understood andas clearly shown in Fig. 7.

104 indicates a lplate extending parallel to the apron 98 betweenthe'lower endA of the endless apron'86 andthe roller 8, 'said plate being secured at its ends to the side plates of the machine, and being located suchdistance 'above the feed-a ron 98 as to allow the cigars to roll free y, one at ya tinie,between them. f

The o eration of the mechanism described isA as follows :eA coin of the requisite 'denomination, in the resent instance, a fivecentv piece,-is inserte lthrough the opening 15 and passing down the coin chute 14, it falls Aupn the' short arnr`27of the locking dog,

ch passes through the extension of the coin chute in an opposite direction to that of the throw-lever 23. The .weight of said coin is sufficient to move the said short arm down-v ward andthereby turn the locking dog upon'- its pivot, carrying the end of the long arm 28 t e dog out of engagement with the notch 43. The coin, now rests in t-he extension 19 of the ltrough upon the arin 27. tor nowjgrasps the knob 42 and pulls the bar with arms 35 and 36 andcrossbar 37outward. As lthe sliding frame moves outward the inclined ortion 460i the. arm 3 5 engages The operathe win32 o the throw-lever 23, thereby de.

y end of the throw-lever engages the under side .tongue 7 4 will thetooth of the-nickel and forces it upward in the trough 18. As the coin 1s carried upward 1t presses the spring-arm 56 outward ugitd the coin has passed the upper end'. of said arm,"

and when the throw-leverdescends the coin will then rest upon the support 57 'of the arm.

This will orevent the coin from falling back" upon the ocking dog. As the sliding frame is pulled outward the forward tongue 74 (Figs. 5 and 6) of the actuating dog will en.- gage one of the teeth 69 of the ratchet wheel 78 and revolve the delivery rollerl 8. The ass out of engagement'with 69 be. ore the roller has been turned 'suliciently to deliver the cigar-and to coinplete the revolution the rear tongue 75 of the actuating dog engages the next succeeding tooth 69, and, as shown 1n Fifr. 6 completes the revolution, of the roller. n order to insure that the delivery roller shall be revolved only a predetermined distance I rovide the stop arm 76, which is so positione that When the sliding frame has been pulled outward the requisite distance to cause its actuating dog to revolve the delivery roller to deliver a cigar, it will engage the rear side of one of the teeth of the ratchet Wheel 68, and thus positively stop the deliveryy roller from further rotation, as Well as lock the s liding'frame against further .outward movement. VWithwill carry the sliding frame backward.

out the provision of the stop arm the delivery roller might be given such an impetus in operating the machine as to revolve the roller more than the distance required to deliver one cigar, and furthermore, to leave the .ratchet Wheel in a position in which the tongue 74 might not ene-age with a tooth thereof. When the knob .s released the springs n6 4 in this movement the tongues 74 and 75 ride over the teeth of the ratchet wheel, and will have a tendency to turn the delivery roller ina direction the reverse oi that just described. To prevent this lhave provided a pawl which one or the other of the teeth 69 and prevents such reverse movement of the roller. ln the delivery movement of said roller the pawl will ride over the teeth of the ratchet wheel, as will be understood. As the sliding frame is pulled outward the under side of the arm 32 of the throw-lever 23 will engage the bent arm 50 and throw its inner end having the button 55 uiward, causing said button to strike the bbttom of thecigar boy: 103, with more or less force, thereby agitating and tending to loosen and separate the cigars in the said cigar box.

.cigar box,

scans? a tooth on the ratchet Wheelgrdthereby revolve the lowermost roller 94, causing thef ci the teeth of the ratchet wheel bei ore the same has been revolved to move the feed apron the desired distance; but as this occurs, the rear tongue 88 cornes into engagement with a tooth of said ratchet wheel and continues the movement thereof. Referrinv to Fig. 7 it will be seen that the inclinedfeed apron 98 supports the cigars rollinglou't ofthe thebottom side of this apron is securedtothe cross-bar 37 the upper side oi the apron will be moved lto the rear as the sliding frame is pulled out, thereby moving the cigars Arom the delivery roller, this further preventing the jamming of the cigars and permitting them to roll gently down towardthe delive roller, one of the grooves 66 of which will always be left in a position to receive a cigar.

By loosening the set'screvvs 93 the plates 92 and it .will be further seen that as l maybe adjusted to carry the lower end of the apron toward or from the upper side of the feed apron, aocordin as the size of the cigar or the exigencies of t e case require. When the delivery roller hasfbeen moved the required distance the cigar in its groove will removed by the operator.

1. 'In a cigar vending apparatus, in combination with a grooved delivery roller, a slid.- able member, means carried by saidslidable member for actuating the delivery roller in one direction only, means, also carried by said slidable member, for stopping the delivery roller at a given point in its rotation.

2. ln a cigar vending apparatus,in combination with a grooved delivery roiler having a ratchet Wheel,l a slidable member, means carried by said slidable member, and adapted to engage saidratchet Wheel in the movement in one direction of said slida'ble member to partially rotate said roller, means, also carried by said Slidable member, for engaging said ratchet ,wheel to stop the delivery roller at a given point in its rotation, and means for pre-ventirir.r the rotation of said roller in a direction reverse that of its delivery movement.

.ln a cigar vending apparatus, in combi- `:tall out into the trough 7 whence it maybe nation with a grooved delivery roller having a ratchet wheel, a slidable member, an aetuating dog carried by said slidable member and adapted to engage said ratchet 'wheel in `one movement of the slidable member to partially rotate said roller, and an arm carried by said dog and adapted to engage and ist ' engaging and positively locking the ratchet` able actuating member therefor, a pair of vnation with a grooved de ivery roller having nation'with a` grooved de 'very roller having lock the ratchet Wheel` against further movement.

4. ln acigar vendingl a paratus, in combia ratchet wheel, a slidable member, an actuating dog pivotally mounted at one end on said slidable member. and supported therehom toward its opposite endsaid opposite end having tongues for engaging the ratchet Wheel to partially rotate the roller in the' movement in one direction of said slidable member, and means carried by-said dog for Whee in a glven position to Whichit has been turned by said actuatingdog. 5. In a cigar vending a paratus, in combination with a-grooved delivery roller, a slidrollerswmounted in the machine, and an endless apron kmounted on said rollers and ada ted to receive and deliver cigars 'to said ro thesaid apron havin "its under side se ed toV said slidable mem er, Where'by'its er side is 'moved infa'direction away from the roller when the lslidable member is vmovcil tof rotate the roller to deliver a cigar. l

"6. In a cigar vending'a paratus, in combiaratchetjwheel, a slidable member, an actuating dog pivctally mounted on said slid able member' at one end and loosely supported from said slidable member toward its cessed on its under side to provide .tongues the ratchet Wheel Whenthe' roller has eenv l moved byithe actuating dog to itsfdelivery position. Y

7. Inga cigar vending a paratus, incombination with a grooved de 'very roller having 'a ratchet wheel, a slidable member, an actuating dog pivotally mounted on said slidable member at one end and loosely supported.I from said slidable member toward its free end the free end of said dog being adaptin the movement toward the ratchet ,Wheel of Vsaid do a stop arm carried by said dog and cont ed pawl normally engaging a tooth of /sa-id'atc 'etWheel to prevent the rotation of ed toengage the teeth osaid ratchet wheel /dog to its delivery position, and a springthe latter in a direction reverse to that of its delivery movement.

` In testimony whereof Iv have hereunto Yset my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.v l

WILLIAM B. SULLIVAN.

Witnesses z BRUCE S. ELLIOTT,

free end, the free end-'of said dog being re-l CL'oRA CONLEY. 

